MAKING A BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR VOLCANO
For Tasha and I's experiment, we will be making a baking soda and vinegar volcano. The baking soda and vinegar volcano is a chemistry project you can use to simulate a real volcanic eruption, as an example of an acid-base reaction. The chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) produces carbon dioxide gas, which forms bubbles in the dishwashing detergent.

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MATERIALS:

• -3 cups flour
• -1 cup salt
• -2 tablespoons cooking oil
• -empty 20-oz drink bottle
• -deep plate or a pan
• -gel food coloring
• -dishwashing detergent
• -baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
• -vinegar (dilute acetic acid)

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STEPS:

1. Mix together 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to make dough for the volcano.
2. Fill the empty bottle of water with hot tap water.
3. Add a squirt of dish washing detergent and 2 tablespoons of baking soda into the bottle of hot tap water.
4. Mold the dough around the bottle making sure NOT to plug the opening.
5. Place the bottle and dough into a deep dish or pan.
6. To make the eruption happen, dump vinegar into the opening of the bottle and record observations.

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HOW DOES IT RELATE TO CHEMISTRY?
'The baking soda and vinegar volcano erupts because of an acid-base reaction:
baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) + vinegar (acetic acid) --> carbon dioxide + water + sodium ion + acetate ion
NaHCO3(s) + CH3COOH(l) --> CO2(g) + H2O(l) + Na+(aq) + CH3COO-(aq)
where s = solid, l = liquid, g = gas, aq = aqueous or in solution
Breaking it down:
NaHCO3 <--> Na+(aq) + HCO3-(aq)
CH3COOH <--> H+(aq) + CH3COO-(aq)
H+ + HCO3- <--> H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
H2CO3 <--> H2O + CO2
Acetic acid (a weak acid) reacts with and neutralizes sodium bicarbonate (a base). The carbon dioxide that is given off is a gas. Carbon dioxide is responsible for the fizzing and bubbling during the 'eruption'.' (Anne Marie Helmenstine, chemistry.about.com)

ATOMS

SODIUM BICARBONATE/ SODIUM HYDROGEN CARBONATE in detergent

ACETIC ACID in vinegar

SODIUM CHLORIDE in detergent.

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE in detergent

Making the dough

To find more information, click here.
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